Six New Bishops and Two New Dioceses for the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church

On 18th January 2010 at 4.30 pm, Indian Standard time in the Major Archiepiscopal Curia at Mount St. Thomas, Kakkanad and in respective eparchial curia and at 12.00 noon in the Vatican, Rome it was made public that His Beatitude Varkey Cardinal Vithyathil, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, having completed the due consultations according to the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, by his decrees appointed six new Bishops for different eparchies and ministries in the Syro-Malabar Church, established two new eparchies and redefined the boundary of an eparchy.  Msgr. Remigiose Inchananyil was appointed Bishop in the place of Bishop Paul Chittilappally, the Bishop of Thamaraserry, and Msgr. Pauly Kannookadan in the place of Bishop James Pazhayattil, the Bishop of Irinjalakuda. Msgr. Raphel Thatttil was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Trichur and Msgr. Bosco Puthur was appointed the first Curial Bishop of the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Curia.  Besides, bifurcating the eparchy of Mananthavady, a new eparchy by name Mandya was erected comprising four civil districts of Mandya, Hasan, Mysore and Chamaraj Nagar in Karnataka.  Monsignor George Njaralakatt was appointed bishop of the new diocese of Mandya.  In the same way bifurcating the eparchy of Palakkad a new eparchy by name Ramanathapuram was erected in Tamilnadu comprising the civil districts of Coimbatore, Erode, Karur and Thirupur.  Msgr. Paul Alappatt was appointed as its first Bishop. Moreover, the boundary of the eparchy of Bhadrawathi was extended to include the Chickmaglore area of the eparchy of Mananthavady.
 

Mgr. Remigiose Inchananickal, the bishop elect of the eparchy of Thamaraserry is from the parish of Vettilappara, in the same eparchy.  He was born on 27th June 1961 and having completed his major seminary studies at St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary Vadavathoor, was ordained priest on December 26, 1987. He has secured a doctorate in Canon Law from Rome. He has served as parish priest of different parishes in the diocese of Thamaraserry.  At present he is serving as secretary and chancellor in the eparchial curia and Judicial Vicar of the eparchial Tribunal in Thamaraserry besides his office as judge in the Major Archiepiscopal Tribunal at Mount St. Thomas, Kakkanad.

 

Mgr. Pauly Kannookadan, the bishop elect of the eparchy of Irinjlakuda is from the parish of Kuzhikattuserry.  He was born on 14th February 1961 and having completed his major seminary studies at St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary Vadavathoor, was ordained priest on December 28, 1985. Following that he obtained doctorate in Sacred Liturgy from Rome. He held the office of minor seminary prefect, vice rector and eparchial catechism director for some time. While holding the office of the Executive Director of Liturgical Research Centre and Secretary to the Major Archiepiscopal Commission for Liturgy and Secretary and that of the commission for Clergy and Institutes of Consecrated Life at Mount St. Thomas, he was elected bishop of the eparchy of Irinjalakuda.

 

Mgr. George Njaralakatt, the bishop elect of the eparchy of Mandya is from the parish of Nadavayal.  He was born on 23rd June 1946 and having completed his major seminary studies, he was ordained priest on December 20, 1971. He has a licentiate in Catechetics from Rome. He had served as the director of catechism, administrator and the protosyncellus of the diocese of Mananthavady.     While holding the office of the Vicar General of the eparchy of Bhadravathi he was elected the first bishop of Mandya.
 

 

Mgr. Paul Alappatt, the bishop elect of the new eparchy of Ramanathapuram is from the parish of Porathur, in the Archeparchy of Trichur.  He was born on April 21, 1962 and having completed his major seminary studies at St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary Vadavathoor, he was ordained priest on December 27, 1987. After doing pastoral work for a period, he was sent to Rome for higher studies where he obtained doctorate in Canon Law. After that he served in various parishes as parish priest and later as vice-chancellor and chancellor of the Archdiocesan curia. While serving as minor seminary rector and Judicial Vicar of the Metropolitan Tribunal, Trichur  and as Judge in the Major Archiepiscopal Tribunal he was elected Bishop of the eparchy of Ramanathapuram.

 

The appointment of a Curial Bishop at the Major Archiepiscopal Curia is a historical event in the history of the Syro-Malabar Church. 

Mgr. Bosco Puthur who is elected as the first curial Bishop at Mount St. Thomas is from the parish of Parappur in the Archeparchy of Trichur.  He was born on 28th May 1946.  He did his major Seminary studies at St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary, Alwaye and at Propaganda College, Rome, and was ordained priest on March 27, 1971.  He secured a doctoral degree in theology and had served as professor for long years at St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary Alwaye.  Besides, he held the office of the Executive Director of the Liturgical Research Centre at Mount St. Thomas, Kakkanad. He was elected Curial Bishop while serving as Rector of St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary Alwaye.  His residence will be the Major Archiepiscopal Curia at Mount St. Thomas and he will help the Major Archbishop in discharge of his responsibilities.  In case the office of the Major Archbishop falls vacant, it is the curial Bishop who has to take charge as Administrator.

 

Mgr. Raphel Thattil, the Auxiliary Bishop elect of the Archeparchy of Trichur was born in Trichur on April 21, 1956. Having completed his major seminary studies at St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary Vadavathoor, he was ordained priest on December 21, 1980. He obtained a doctorate in Canon Law from Rome. He held the office of minor seminary vice rector, vice chancellor and Chancellor of the Archeparchy.  Later he was appointed the first rector of the Mary Matha Major Seminary. He was elected Auxiliary Bishop of Trichur while holding the office of Syncellus of the Archeparchy.